Intuitive Decision-making – what’s YOUR way?

There is a lot of interest and research into the role of intuitive decision-making and problem-solving techniques for businesses. In the western world we have learned to subjugate our intuition to our ability to rationalize, weigh up the pros and cons, think things through before acting by using strategic decision making techniques. This has led us further into making choices from our conscious mind. In doing so, we have lost touch with a fundamental aspect of our decision making process which is our ability to unconsciously rapidly sum up a situation.

We are extremely well equipped to swiftly recognise patterns – by swift I’m talking milliseconds – and decide whether we like something or if it’s safe for us. We have a keen ability to sense when something feels odd or out of place or harmonious and pleasing. It can be fairly common for people attending hospital for a broken limb or accidental damage during sport or leisure to comment that they somehow knew that they shouldn’t continue but went ahead and ignored that quiet inner voice anyway.

For some others decisions take time; this isn’t necessarily procrastination but a form of assessment that takes in the dark and the light and every shade inbetween in order to arrive at point of clarity. Then action flows with ease.

We regularly overrule our intuitive awareness or need for time with our mental process and pay the price.

Decisions are often made to someone else’s timetable or a deadline. This can be detrimental to the lightningly fast intuitive “hunches” as well as the clarity process because it doesn’t allow for them.

Research is revealing that good decisions often take into account the subtle awareness and the wait for clarity. Piles of data don’t seem to make all that much difference unless people have allowed their preconceptions to get in their way in the first instance. If you expect it to be a duck and then it walks like one and quacks like one you are far more likely to assess it as a duck even if it isn’t one.

Holding an open mind in the face of uncertainty seems to be where our greatest discomfort arises. We want to be certain and we want to be right, so we will ignore any data that doesn’t fit our expected paradigm. This includes ignoring our awareness from intuition or emotional process.

Human Design is about reinstating intuitive decisions. This begins a process that frees the mind from the habitual patterns and unconscious beliefs planted by our parents and social norms. We begin to use our own personal inner authority instead of giving away our power to external forces. The mind then can become the observer of life and learns through experience and awareness rather than a home for our tyrannical inner critic or fearful little self.

Using these intuitive decision making techniques can bring us out of reaction and into a naturally flowing response through awareness, draw us away from pushing life & into joyful discovery.

Your design is always operating and life becomes easier when you can bring your mind into alignment with your body’s intuitive wisdom.

We all make our intuitive decisions in different ways and this article illustrates the 8 decision making styles. To understand which one works for you, it’s helpful to have your own chart to hand which you can get free at Jovian Archive.

“Follow your guts” say many psychologists who have understood that to “follow your mind” is not the solution. But is “follow your guts” the correct way for you?

Samarpan, while studying Human Design, discovered that there are various ways of finding one’s own decisions, each one different according to the Type and Authority we are.

A cornerstone in Human Design, founded by Ra Uru Hu, is that there are different ways or processes of how to make decisions that are individually correct. When our Authority and Strategy of the Type are known to us, and practiced, decision-making turns into service of our unique expressions and reason for incarnating.

In this article – which makes reference to Linda Bunnell and Ra Uru Hu’s The Definitive Book of Human Design: The Science of Differentiation (1) – I will describe the most significant qualities of the seven different Authorities. Instead of seeking approval from authorities outside ourselves or letting our mind run the decision making, Ra explains that we do have a trustworthy personal Authority that we can rely on.

The hierarchy (2a) of the different Authorities are (% of population):

Emotional Authority (Solar Plexus) – 50%

Sacral Authority (Sacrum) – 33%

Splenic Authority (Spleen) – 9.5%

Ego manifested Authority (Heart) – 1%

Ego projected Authority (Heart) – 1%

Self projected Authority (Self / G Centre) – 0.5%

No inner Authority – (Mental Projectors) – 2%

No inner Authority – (Reflectors) – 3%

Each Authority refers to the different centers in the bodygraph. (2b)

1. Emotional Authority (Solar Plexus)

Fifty percent of us, living on this planet, have a defined Solar Plexus center, which controls the Emotional Authority and takes precedence over the other Authorities. Truth reveals itself in its fullness over time. The key component is patience in waiting out the emotional wave before making a decision. To come to emotional clarity is the goal and therefore quick decisions at a time when the emotional wave is still going through its different phases, are untrustworthy. The depth of understanding is accessed through surrendering to the depths of uncertainty. This means that it is important to give yourself time before responding to suggestions, which will make your decisions very attractive and full of wisdom.

A helpful way of giving yourself the necessary space is to say:

Let me think about it overnight. I will get back to you when I feel clear about your suggestion.”

2. Sacral Authority (Sacrum)

If you have a defined Sacral center and an undefined Solar Plexus Center your Authority is Sacral. This authority refers to our belly and its guttural sounds; ah-huh for yes, uhn-un for no, and hmmmm for I don’t know right now. Truth is in the now and shows itself via your access, or no access, to your sacral energy. When you feel your Sacral response, or hear the voice of it, you know your energy resources will be available and persevere until the task or relationship to completion. Sacral response is a reliable and honest guide to maximize satisfaction and reduce resistance.

When I feel turned on to do it, I say yes. If I feel tired, I say no.”

3. Splenic Authority (Spleen)

When a defined Splenic center stands alone without Solar Plexus or Sacral defined you have a Splenic Authority. It is designed to keep you safe and is purely existential. It can be experienced as an instantaneous resonance or recognition of something or someone and an inner knowing if it is healthy for you. The Splenic works through attention towards physiological sensations and to act if necessary, no matter what consequences. It requires decisions in the present and doesn’t have time for to ponder over a bigger or deeper picture. Its subtle and non-repetitive voice gives information whether something is correct and safe. The future is irrelevant and wisdom lies in moment-to-moment listening and action. Important not to follow the mind, emotional needs and wants, and pressure from others.

I know immediately if a place is healthy and I surprise myself (and others) with the decisions I take. I just ‘know’ what to do.”

4. Ego Manifested Authority (Heart)

The Heart center is a motor center and if defined with the Throat center there is a drive to manifest. This Authority is expressed verbally and is about articulation. By listening to what you “say” in the moment, without trying to control what comes out, you will access your truth. This manifesting-related Authority is about informing in the moment. You are designed to have impact and it is important to trust what you say, without listening to the mind. Surrendering to the truth of your voice is the key. Your voice initiates and runs your life, leads and you follow. Trust it!

I will tell others what I am going to do next, and the moment I hear myself I know what to do and I do it.”

5. Ego Projected Authority (Heart)

If your Heart center is connected to the G center, identification is a key to truth. To recognize the correct decision by asking yourself “What do I want?”, “What’s in it for me?” and you will either have the energy or not, to do something. This Authority is related to trust in waiting to be invited. Since there is a lot of openness in the Bodygraph of a Projected Authority, it is easy to get lost in all the openness. Once invited, you have an enormous capacity to be a transformative force, and your leadership is a great guide for others. While waiting to be recognized and invited, use the time to learn about a system that will support you in guiding others. Decisions that will support the truth of people with Heart Authorities are made with consideration of being able to making and keeping promises and to have a balance between work and rest so there is also time for play.

“When I need to decide if to accept an invitation or not, I need to feel that this is for me, because if I don’t feel that, I will not be able to keep my promise. But there must be time for relaxation, otherwise I will push myself and others to exhaustion.”

6. Self Projected Authority (Self – G Centre)

The source for the Self-Projected Authority is the defined G Center that is connected with the Throat. The truth for you is expressed through the core of identity it comes via your voice. A bit similar to the Ego – Manifested Authority, but instead of using the voice’s messages as a tool for informing others, the Self-projected needs to identify with the decision in all different angles of it. The Self creates a feeling that when a decision is right, there is absolutely no other way to deal with it, “this is the only way”. You will access this knowledge through listening to what you say, after receiving an invitation. Your decisions have to make you feel that this is you. It is very helpful to discuss impending decisions to support you in hearing yourself. This Authority often provides direction for others but can only hear their own direction by listening to themselves in the moment of speaking.

When invited to do something I talk about it and what comes out of my mouth tells me which way to go.”

7. No inner Authority – Environment (Mental Projectors)

This kind of Authority appears when the Ajna center is either connected to the Throat or Head, or all tree connected to each other, which is very rare. The design of somebody with this Authority receives guidance from sensory information about the environment. If the environment feels wrong, the people in that situation, including the exchanged ideas or bargains happening, will not be right for you either. A supporting question for you is to ask yourself: “Is this environment correct for me?” To check if environments are correct, it is sound to physically visit the place in question and recognize within your body how the environment ‘feels’ to you. In opposition to the Self-projected Authority, you are not helped by discussing a decision, but instead using others that you trust, as a sounding board, which will support you to hear your own contemplation or rumination about the decision to be made.

When I need to take a decision about accepting an invitation or not, I talk to a few people about it. According to how I feel within myself when I hear their suggestions it becomes clear to me what to do.”

8. No inner Authority – Lunar Cycle (Reflectors)

If your Authority is Lunar it means that there are no defined centers. Before making important decisions you are designed to wait through your personal and consistent monthly pattern of lunar transits. If you understand and follow this pattern clarity in the decision-making process evolves. Be ready to enjoy the constant surprises your reflector life will present, as your clarity grows. The key is in honoring the Lunar cycle by slowing down and not letting the world rush you. The environment is of great importance since you are a mirror of it. If it feels good, you will feel good, an unhealthy environment makes you uneasy. Surrounding yourself with trustworthy advisors or friends to have the opportunity to discuss potential decisions during the cycle is an important tool for coming to your truth. By hearing yourself talking over time, one day you simply arrive at an inner knowing, a deep sense of what is correct for you.

For big decisions I wait a whole month while being attentive to how I feel about the issue during this time.”

As you have seen, the Authorities are determined by the design of our centers. According to Human Design we have nine centers instead of seven. They can be defined or undefined. The defined ones are our unquestionable resources and the undefined are learning aspects which can be either conditioned or transformation potentials.

The author, Bunnell, describes that if we learn to operate as unique beings the undefined centers turn into wisdom instead of conditioning. This will create a liberated mind that can start functioning as the tool it is meant to be.

The mind is not ugly; your use of the mind is ugly. Change your use.” Osho

My own understanding from studying Human Design is that our design is like a tool for this life. It is unique for everyone and, if we understand how it works, it can be used in a beautiful and natural way. The challenge is to be supportive to our own design in a world controlled by the mind, where haste and fast track lanes are too often highly rated and considered the right way to live.

One obvious quality of the different Types and Authorities is the importance of finding the rhythm that is correct for each design. This means that we often have to be confronted with a split between what the collective wants from us and what is individually correct.

It has been a revelation for myself in the discovery that the truth of my rhythm is the way I function in a natural and healthy way, which makes my resources and clarity available to me. So, why not find the most natural way of living our life?

Some decisions work out really well and others don’t – do you want to know why? Using your inner or external authority instead of relying on your mind’s programming is a key to becoming more intuitive and aligned in your decision-making

These Codes of Consciousness offer valuable insight into the possibilities and potentials hidden within your DNA. How can you liberate your Genius if you are fighting yourself? Learn to embrace your fears and see them as the seeds to higher Love.

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Marian enjoys inspiring people to become free to live their genius, hates anything homogenised or pasteurised (not just milk) and loves colourful creativity and individualism in everything. She would love to have been Counsellor Troi in Star Trek but has settled instead for a life well lived here on Planet Earth.